‘Celebrate HPV vaccine,’ says terminally ill Laura Brennan

The HPV vaccine is something that should be celebrated, says Laura Brennan, who has terminal cervical cancer.

The 25-year-old Clare woman fronts the HSE’s latest HPV vaccination information campaign — the vaccine was not available in schools when she was a teenager.

Laura Brennan spoke at a conference in Dublin yesterday organised by the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland that is calling for boys to get the HPV vaccine.

“I think the HPV vaccine is something that should be celebrated. How amazing is it that we have something that can prevent cancer,” she said.

“This is obviously not the ideal situation to be in at 25 but if I can prevent this from happening to anyone else, why wouldn’t I use my voice to protect as many girls and, hopefully, boys in the future.”

Laura said she did not comment on the cervical smear controversy because her situation was different — it was the vaccine that would have prevented her from getting cancer.

Diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016, she said her health was “good” and she worked three days a week selling cosmetics.

“Obviously, because my priorities have changed I don’t work for money; I work to get out and meet people and chat.”

After undergoing six rounds of palliative chemotherapy earlier this year she began treatment with Avastin, a drug that stops cancer from growing. Laura has discussed using the drug, Pembrolizumab, with her doctor.

Vicky Phelan, whose cancer was missed in a smear test three years before she was diagnosed, said recently her tumours were reduced significantly since she began taking the drug.

Laura said one dose of the drug, administered every three weeks, costs around €8,000. It would be the last treatment option available to her.

“So it is quite an expensive route to go down but you can’t put a price on a life.”

Laura said she still had a “fantastic” quality of life: “So, fingers crossed, the treatment I am on will keep my cancer as small as possible for as long as possible.”